Nevada Summer
by Maiden of Earth
Summary: A story about a girl named Charlie and her meeting Nate, Jake's brother and the Nevadan summer they fall in love. My first story by the way.
1. Prologue

_My name is Charlie, I'm a girl. I used to get teased a lot for that but not since I learned my fists were good for something. Don't ask me where I got my name; I have no idea, except that I have lived with My Uncle Frank all my life. _

_I got three cousins, they're boys. They're more like brothers to me. I know my parents died when I was a little tyke, and that doesn't make me sad cause I don't know who they are… er… were._

_I guess you could say that I'm a Cowgirl. I live in the Big Sky State of Montana. With all that sky, we get a lot of weather. Two kinds, warm, or freeze-your-rear off._

_Horse is Delta; she's a scrappy blue roan mare. I've got black hair that curls when it's wet and blue eyes. Frank said I got them when I was a kid, I looked up so long into the sky that she poured some of her color on me. That's hogwash. I used to believe him, but I know I got my eyes from my mom. I can't remember what her name is right now, but I will. _

Fourteen-year-old Charlie slammed her leather-bound journal shut and wedged it under her mattress. She stood up and stretched. The sun was low when she looked out the window of the second story log-walled house.

She wandered downstairs. Her Uncle and two older cousins, Jimmy and Kyle, had already gone to bed after the hard day. Leon, who was just slightly older than Charlie, was reading at the table.

"Hey Charle," he said, sounding pre-occupied.

"Yea Leon, watcha readin'?" she asked, looking over his shoulder. He

slammed the book shut.

"Nothin'…" he mumbled.

"C'mon Leon, tell me," Charlie straddled the chair next to him and watched him.

"It's really nothing… just… a… okay, promise you won't laugh?"

"Me? I don't have a sense of humor," Charlie answered. Leon sent her a blank look, knowing full well she didn't have a sense of humor… she laughed at everything. He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It's… a diary…" he said slowly.

"Oh, well Leon, that ain't nothin' to be ashamed of. I got one," Charlie answered.

"Oh, okay," he said, sighing. He never could keep secrets. He knew if he didn't tell her, it would eat him from inside out.

"That's nice Leon," she said.

"You lyin bout havin' one?" he asked, turning his brown eyes on her.

"I got one, sure as hell," Charlie said.

"Yea? Show me," Leon said. Charlie didn't miss the challenge in his eyes.

"Sucker!" Charlie yelped, jumping up and snatching his journal. She ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. She clicked the lock just as he rammed into the door.

"Please Charlie!" he begged. Charlie felt a little guilty about it, they had always been close… but this was too good to give up.

She opened it and was welcomed by Leon's messy chicken-scratch. She squinted.

_My name is Leon Diesel Redhawk. I am 14 years old and I have to write this cause my teacher told me to. I don't know I'm supposed to put in here… when I asked the teacher what I was supposed to put in an empty book; she said a crush would be a good way to start. So uh… I guess I have a crush on… well shoot… I don't hardly know what a crush is so I'll skip this crap._

"Nice language Leon," Charlie muttered, and then kept reading, Leon's fists pounding on the door died in her ears as she snuck into a young boy's secret world.

_I live in Montana. I got a horse named Shucks. That's a dumb name… for a dumb horse. He thinks he's a stallion, which is more dumbness cause we cut his balls off. That's neutering, or gelding. _

_I got me a problem. I want to do somethin. Aw this is hard to explain… I guess I want to try things out for myself… like… I don't know how to put it. I just feel crazy when I want to go outside and run around like a little kid. Or get on Shucks and ride around the world…_

_Shoot its Charlie…_

"Well well Leon," Charlie nodded.

"What is all this noise?" a voice bellowed.

"Charlie stole my journal!" Leon shouted.

"Charlotte! Give the boy back his diary!" her uncle shouted from his room across from the bathroom before loud snoring resumed.

When Charlie handed it to Leon he took it casually. Charlie eyed him. He kept his expression blank, but Charlie could see the Redhawk fury blazing in the depths of his eyes.

O0o0O0o0O

"Ow…" Charlie groaned. Leon had chased her, swearing painful revenge while she had screamed bloody murder. Then they were scrappin in the hayloft when he tripped and they both tumbled down onto the barn floor.

"If you hadn't stolen my journal…" her cousin started, limping next to her back to the house.

He trailed off as a dark horse rode up.

"Howdy, Nate Ely," the rider said, slipping down from his saddle.

"Hi," Charlie and Leon said in unison.

"I uh…" Nate started. The kid wasn't more than fourteen, but looked really experienced on a horse.

"My Mom was wondering if she could borrow some flour…" he said.

"Yeah," Leon said.

"I'll go get it," Charlie said, going inside and rummaging in the untidy pantry. She tried to remember who… oh yeah. They were their neighbors over the ridge. Mrs. Ely used to be Charlie's fourth grade history teacher until she took a job as a high school teacher. That was years ago though. Charlie remembered Mrs. Ely having bouncy blonde curls and lots of boys, good looking boys.

Charlie grabbed the flour and took it too the waiting boy outside.

"Here," Charlie handed it to him and as he took it, their hands brushed. Charlie felt warmth radiate from him. He tipped his hat at here before swinging up on his chocolate brown horse with a white spot on his chin.

"He was cute huh?" Leon asked.

"Oh shut up," Charlie muttered, shaking Nate's image from her head and turning to go back inside.


	2. Take It Easy

Charlie swung her legs out of her bed and stood up to stretch in the pre-dawn darkness. She loved mornings, so did her uncle and cousin Gregory. Leon, however, was not a morning person. And somehow, it had been awarded to her to get him up.

Early as it was, her Uncle and Greg were already up, out feeding the stock. They'd be expecting breakfast when they got back and she'd have to take care of that after she woke up Leon.

"Go 'way…" Leon groaned, burying his head under his pillow.

"Leon, burning daylight, you'll help me make breakfast if you don't get up now."

"Ugh… no… uh… maybe in a minute…" Leon mumbled drowsily. Charlie grabbed his arm and dragged him out of bad, where he tumbled out onto the floor with a thud.

"I don wanna…"

"Leon Diesel Redhawk, get up now, or so help me, I will… I'll…"

"I'm up… coming…" Leon said, rubbing his eyes, his hair sticking awkwardly out everywhere.

"Good morning sunshine," Charlie chirped, rummaging through his drawers for his clothes. She didn't have to, but it made things go faster. Blue jeans and a flannel shirt; It was a male version of the same thing she was wearing.

O0o0O0o0O

"Nate? Dude?" Seth, Nate's twin waved his hand in front of his brother's face.

"Huh?" Nate looked at Seth like he was from another world.

"What is up with you? You didn't even eat thirds!" Seth said. Nate growled something and pushed away from the table. He went up to the room he, Seth and their older brother Kit shared. He plopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.

When he heard someone besides him, he turned to look. It was ten-year-old Jake. Serious brown eyes and longish dark hair that was always falling in his face, Jake looked a lot like Nate. They were both serious, tall for their age, and dark.

"What?" he asked.

Jake just looked at him with those damn eyes. Nate groaned.

"Sam said me an' her are getting married," Jake said. He didn't seem to appreciate it when Nate burst out laughing.

"I'm serious Nate," his eyes seemed to say.

"Yeah, and what did you say?" Nate asked, trying to keep a straight face for his brother's sake.

"I told her when I got a driver's license we could," Jake said.

"So, you goin' down to Vegas?" Nate asked. He was getting better at the serious thing.

"I guess…" Jake said and seemed to let the subject drop.

"Yea…" Nate said, knowing his mom would get a kick out of it.

"So who are you marrying?" Jake asked.

"_Scarlett Johansson__," Nate answered._

_"Um…" Jake started, then shrugged and turned away._

_Nate sighed and looked back at the ceiling. _

_O0o0O0o0O_

_"Where are you going?" Mrs. Ely asked her second-oldest son as he grabbed his hat and stepped outside. Nate paused, holding the door halfway open._

_"Nowhere… for a walk…" he answered and shut the door against further inquiries. _

_"Hey Digger," he stroked his young gelding's nose as the horse reached over the stall for him. He heard a radio play from the tack room where Kit must be._

_"Runnin' down the road tryin' ta loosen my load got seven women on my mind. Four that wanna own me, two that wanna stone me, one says she's a friend of mine…" then the chorus took over. It was an Eagles song, his favorite band. He absently listened but perked up as the words made more sense to him. "It's a girl, my lord…" _

_He had lots of girls swooning over him in school, a few that hated him, and some that were just friends… then there was a blue-eyed beauty to distract him._

_"What will I do Digger?" he murmured to his horse. Then he turned at hoof beats outside the barn. He swallowed. Here was his distraction-girl._


	3. Take It Slow

Charlie dismounted and stood in the middle of the darkening ranch yard, maybe she should leave now, before anyone saw her…

"Shoot…" she muttered when a figure approached her.

"Well howdy Miss, whatcha doin' out alone so late?" he asked. It was Nate.

"Oh uh… I was going to see Mrs. Allen, she's my Aunt, well, she divorced my Uncle a few years ago and I was going to see her… she's on Deerpath ranch… I uh… like visiting her…" Charlie clamped her mouth shut when she realized that she was blabbering out of nervousness. Nate didn't seem to notice.

"Mrs. Allen is your aunt?" he asked, his voice a warm, deep, rolling tone.

"Yeah…" Charlie said.

"Well, its kinda dark Missy," Nate started.

"You can call me Charlie," Charlie interrupted.

"Sure thing…"

"And Frank let's me ride alone all the time," Charlie answered, then she noticed that Nate was shifting.

"Well… I could go with you…?"

"Really? That'd be fun!" Charlie answered, maybe a little too excited.

"Gimme a minute," Nate answered, a grin breaking over his handsome face. Charlie watched as he ran back inside.

O0o0O0o0O

"No way Nathaniel! You can not go…" his mom started after he asked.

"But mom, Charlotte Redhawk is going and I thought I would go with her, you know, it's getting dark. She's going to visit her Aunt, Mrs. Allen."

"Well now Maxine, that's different, he'll be escorting a lady," Luke spoke up from his ancient leather chair. Nate grinned when his mom sigh in resignation.

Nate turned to go outside and was met by Jake's upturned palm. Nate gave him a high-five. That dang boy was too observant sometimes.

"Thanks Nate," Charlie said, their horses were walking side by side.

"No prob, it's really fun actually," Nate answered. Charlie smiled when he seemed to be studying the stars. She looked up.

"Pretty ain't they?" she responded.

"Naw, some things in life fall in the beautiful category," Nate said slowly. Charlie looked down, even in the dark it looked like he had been watching her.

"Oh…" she said.

"You're beautiful…" Nate said, staring hard at his saddle horn. Charlie felt her breath catch. Her cheeks heated in a bush and she couldn't help but smile. Nate rubbed the back of his neck.

"thanks…" Charlie said.

"I'm sorry… that was a little out of place…" Nate said. Charlie couldn't help it, she leaned over from her saddle and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek.

His hand flew up to his cheek and he turned wide brown eyes on her.

"Oh my gosh… I don't know where that came from…" Charlie stammered. He reached over and took her hand, holding it in his warm one. He smiled at her.

"Let's not go so fast…" he said.

"Agreed…" Charlie said.

**I hoped you liked it. I'm goin' real fast here, it's gonna get good!**


	4. Songfic

_Song-fic chapter for Charlie and Nate. Hope you like it!_

_The song is Cowboy Take Me Away by the Dixie Chicks_

_I said I wanna touch the Earth… I wanna break it in my hands. I wanna grow somethin' wild and unruly._

Charlie sat on the front porch, eyes scanning the range that stretched before her. She was wearing faded cut-offs and a tank top. The heat was blazing down and she liked it. She was going swimming with Nate. She sighed, she had a major crush on him… but to Nate Ely, going slow meant sitting back and feeling satisfied that it actually could go somewhere.

_I wanna sleep on the hard ground, in the comfort of your arms, on a pillow of blue bonnets, in a blanket made of stars, oh it sounds so good to me._

Charlie, with her hair wet and tangled, settled on the ground next to Nate as he stared up at the stars. His arm circled her nicely. In the dark she could hear his deep breathing and could almost see his satisfied grin… Charlie sighed, for now, just loving him was enough.

_I said Cowboy take me away! Fly this girl as high as you can into the wild blue…_

Charlie flung her arms out and closed her eyes as the wind caught her hair and tossed it behind her back. The two horses moved in a steady rhythm across War Drum Flats. She could hear Nate laughing at her free abandon as they galloped home.

_Set me free oh I pray! Closer to heaven above and closer to you… closer to you…_

She felt so close to Nate, it was like they were meant for each other, how they read each other's minds and understood each other. It really felt like heaven when she was with Nate.

**Sorry I didn't use the whole song, I just felt like doing this. Capter four coming soon!**


	5. Love love love

** So, picture all the first chapters were a prologue and this is a few months later. Okay? Good.**

0o0o0June0o0o0

"Charlie! Charlie!" Leon called. Charlie groaned, she was busy writing in her journal, she didn't want to see her annoying cousin right now.

"Charlie-Girl! Where are you?" he called. Charlie was in the hayloft, and she crouched behind a bale so he wouldn't see her. She scribbled a few more sentences in the leather-bound book before shutting it and swinging down the ladder.

"Hey Lee-lee, what's up?" she asked. He glared at her.

"Your _boyfriend_ wants to talk to you," he snarled, looking disgusted.

"He's not my boyfriend… yet," Charlie smirked, passing Leon and jogging to the porch. Once inside she snatched the phone from Greg and listened.

"Charlie?" a voice said at the other end.

"Hi Nate!" Charlie said.

"Hey girl, uh, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a ride…" Nate asked.

"Yeah, I'll meet you at The Tree," Charlie said. Click. Nate hung up, he wasn't much for talking on the phone. Charlie smiled and sprinted outside to saddle up Delta. When she got to The Tree, Nate was waiting for her.

"Hi," Charlie smiled.

"Hey," Nate said. Charlie started to dismount, halfway down, his arms slipped around her waist. Charlie lost her breath as he whispered in her ear.

"I missed you," he said.

"Huh?"

"I missed school yesterday and didn't call,"

"Oh…"

Nate chuckled softly and nuzzled her neck once more before pulling away. Charlie felt shivers up her spine; this taking it slow thing wasn't working out for her. When he pulled away, she turned around and stared at his lips, she really wanted to kiss him. She saw him swallow.

"You know Nate… I was thinkin'… maybe… we should…" Charlie started, still staring at his lips.

"Speed things up?" He asked. Charlie nodded. He laughed and scooped her up, making her lose her breath. Then their lips met.

"Mmm… mm… Nate… Nate…" Charlie murmured. She linked her arms around his neck and melted in his arms. He pulled back slightly, eyes half-closed, and whispered. His lips were hovering just over hers.

"That was awesome Charlie," he whispered. Charlie smiled and tilted her head as they went in for more.

"_It's about time…" Delta snorted. Digger nodded before linking his neck over the young palomino filly's. _

Charlie and Nate linked hands as they rode side by side along the mountain trail.

"Sometimes I feel out of place in my family…" Charlie said slowly. Nate nodded.

"Me too," he said.

"Really? How?" Charlie asked.

"Well I'm kinda… softhearted… I guess…" Nate said quietly.

"That's why I like you, you're so sweet," Charlie said. Nate looked at her and smiled. They leaned closer for another kiss. Then they heard childish voices across the clearing.

"No Sam! Darn it brat! Don't you ever listen to me?" a young and very frustrated Jake demanded.

"Just get on the horsey Jake, and then I'll get on like the do in the movies," Samantha lisped. Even from where they were, they could hear Jaek's groan.

"This is the last time I'll ever babysit you!" he said. The horse in question was a sorrel mare. Jake, being 2and-a-half years older, would ride in back, holding the reins.

That way his arms would circle Sam, like a seat belt. But Sam wanted to ride like a princess, with her hair blowing behind her, not having Jake's chin bump into her head every step the horse took.

Then Jake leaned forward and planted a sweet kiss on Sam's pouty lips.

"Works like a charm," Nate said as they watched Sam melt and go along with Jake's way of doing things.

Charlie looked at Nate. He grinned before holding his arm out. Charlie grabbed it and in one fluid motion, swung behind Nate and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her cheek on his back where she could hear his rumbling chuckle.

She held reins to a horse… and a tender young boy's heart.


	6. Don't know what to name this one

Eleven-year-old Jake watched as Samantha danced to her favorite song; Wild Thing. It was a strange song for a nine-year-old to like, but somehow, it suited her. She was such a wild thing.

"How was it?" she asked, light brown eyes shining. Jake swallowed, to him it had just looked like a bunch of spinning around.

"I'd give it a ten," he said, speaking carefully.

"Only a ten?" she asked, eyes filling with tears.

_Oh shit… _Jake thought. What would be the biggest number to a kid? A hundred? Naw… A million.

"I meant ten million!" Jake blurted. A smile broke out on her face and she gave him cardiac arrest by wrapping her skinny arms around him.

"You're the bestest best Jake!" she cooed against his chest. Jake stiffly hugged her back.

"You know Brat…"

"Don't call me that."

"Sam… um… could you… let… me… go?" Jake stammered. Sam gave him one last squeeze and planted a kiss on his cheek before pulling away and grabbing his hands.

"Whoa… what're you doin?" Jake asked.

Hero by Enrique Ingelsis started. _Oh shit… _Jake thought.

But he danced with her. He didn't really know how to dance and neither did Sam, but she liked it. And if there was one thing Jake Ely had learned, don't make Sam mad.

He really couldn't stand that music… but he put up with it… then put on some Tim McGraw. Oh yeah.

Nate laughed as he leaned against the doorpost and watched his baby brother and his little girlfriend.

He had his own Cowgirl to attend to.

He grabbed his hat and darted out the door. He probably saddled up in record time and was soon on his way to his girl.

"Nate! Oh my gosh!" Charlie threw herself into his strong arms as soon as he dismounted. Nate couldn't help but smile as he met the deep blue eyes that looked up at him.

"You're so pretty…" he murmured, brushing a lock of jet black hair out of her flawless face. She smiled at him with those rosy lips… just begging for a kiss.

"Nate… mmm…."

Nate's young lips caressed her soft ones tenderly. And then their kiss deepened for the first time. Nate leaned back against Digger and held Charlie in his arms as thy kissed.

When they pulled away, Charlie smiled at him, her eyes shining. Nate returned it. He planted a light kiss on her nose.

"Wanna sneak up to a bed Nate?" Charlie asked, with what could only be described as a seductive smile.

Nate felt his stomach drop.

"What?" he gasped.

"Oh Nathaniel Lucas Ely, I was teasing!" Charlie giggled. Nate sighed in relief. If she had meant it he would have killed himself right then and there and save her the trouble. He wouldn't even know what they would've even done anyway.

He shook his head clear of those thoughts but couldn't help but look at her rear as she reached for her bridle on its hook. He raised one eyebrow. That was something he'd never considered… but he could see that she was a girl Kit would definitely eye.

_Whoa… chill out man… _he told himself. He took his hat off and ran a hand through his hair.

So they went for a ride. Don't worry… nothing happened. ;)

No, seriously, nothing happened. ;)

I know, the winks throw it off right? ;)

I'm sorry that this one was so short. ;)

I've got a lot of stuff going on. ;)

Hoped you liked the Sam and Jake moment. ;)

Really, winking makes everything seem inappropriate? ;)

Adios ;)


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